By AutodromeF1 Editorial Team
London. United Kingdom – May 12 2026
America’s Newest F1 Constructor Arrives Home The 2026 Miami Grand Prix marked more than just round four of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. For Cadillac Formula 1 Team, it was a homecoming. Racing for the first time on U.S. soil at the Miami International Autodrome from May 1-3, 2026, Cadillac rolled out its first significant in-season development package since entering Formula 1. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon called the upgrade “reasonably sizeable” and confirmed it touched “different parts of the car” with the floor as the main area.
After three races of building operational experience, Miami was the moment Cadillac intended to show it could develop at F1’s relentless pace. Drivers Sergio “Checo” Pérez and Valtteri Bottas brought veteran pedigree, and the paddock watched closely: could an all-new American works team close the gap to the established midfield?
This article compiles verified details from official team communications, technical briefings, and independent coverage to break down what Cadillac changed, how it performed, and where Lowdon’s “constant stream” of upgrades goes next.
Context: Cadillac’s First Three Races
Cadillac entered 2026 as Formula 1’s 11th team, backed by General Motors and operating as a full constructor. The MAC-26 car was signed off early with only minor changes for Australia, China, and Japan.
Despite low pre-season expectations, the team impressed by achieving reliability: both Pérez and Bottas reached the chequered flag in Japan, marking Cadillac’s third straight double-finish. Pérez noted the team was “clearly faster than Aston Martin” in Japan and that pace was “getting stronger”. Still, both drivers were a lap down and outside the points.
The gap was aero. Bottas diagnosed it bluntly: “The biggest weakness we’ve had is just pure lack of load, aero-wise”. Since testing, the drivers reported good handling but a “clear grip deficit” from the downforce shortfall. Miami was targeted as the first major correction.
The Miami Upgrade Package: What Changed
Cadillac’s first development step was comprehensive. The FIA’s official upgrade summary for Miami listed nine separate aerodynamic geometry changes. Team communications and technical briefings outlined the package:
Aerodynamic Core: Floor, Diffuser, and Bodywork
New floor: Described as the “centerpiece” and “main area” of the package. Chief Technical Officer Nick Chester said it featured “revised surfaces around the rear wheel to improve forward airflow”.
Forward floorboard, floor body, diffuser: All updated to work with the new floor geometry.
Rear corner and exhaust tailpipe bracket: Tweaked to condition airflow at the rear of the car.
The goal: more downforce “in all speed ranges” to address the load deficit Bottas identified.
Front End
Front wing endplate and flap: Revised profiles.
Mirror stay: Aerodynamic refinement.
Mechanical and Cooling
Front and rear brake drums: New designs.
Rear suspension shrouds: Updated to boost rear downforce.
Modest exhaust modification: To aid the rear wing.
Weight Saving
Lowdon confirmed the package was “a mixture of aero and a bit of weight saving as well”. Chester added the changes yielded “a small weight saving”.
Scale and Intent
Lowdon termed it a “fairly substantial upgrade package” spread over “different parts of the car”. The team expected it to yield “a significant step forward” given how early the launch-spec car had been frozen.
The package was bolted on for a Sprint weekend with only one 90-minute FP1 session, adding risk. “It’s never ideal,” Lowdon admitted, “because you don’t really have an awful lot of time to analyse it”.
Miami Weekend: Performance on Track
Results and Perception
Cadillac didn’t score points, but the weekend produced tangible progress.
In the Sprint, Pérez “finished ahead of Alex Albon’s Williams and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin”. In the Grand Prix, he “split the Aston Martins again”.
Both cars finished the 57-lap Grand Prix, extending the team’s 100% finishing record to three races. Team communications emphasized that in a new regulation era, “reliability is no guarantee”.
The official Cadillac F1 Instagram carousel celebrated “career-best finishes” for Bottas and Pérez in Miami, with graphic cards showing P7 and P2 respectively. Note: These likely refer to Sprint or internal team metrics, as Cadillac has not scored World Championship points as of Miami.
Driver Feedback
Pérez said Miami was “our strongest race so far this year” after Japan. He added: “We can see our pace is getting stronger. Hopefully, the upgrades we bring to Miami will put us into the mix a lot more”.
Bottas noted: “For me, the pleasure is now seeing progress. That’s the carrot… But it’s still a long way to go, still need to make big steps”.[we]
Tyre Degradation: The Next Hurdle
Pérez flagged degradation as the limiting factor: “We were degrading the tyres a little bit too much… I can see at times, as soon as the degradation starts to keep enough, we can be with the midfield, but they are just able to pick up the pace quite a lot”. The team felt hard tyres were the wrong choice in hindsight. 0fed
Team Reaction
Lowdon said the team would “be watching the performance of the upgrade with great interest”. After the weekend, Cadillac President Dan Towriss stated: “We want to continue to push and find ways to move up and compete with more cars”.
Fan sentiment on official channels was mixed. Many celebrated the technical push: “Sounds great, let’s go!!”. Others were skeptical: “Big package with no results..” and “Upgrades with a driver so many time in pit doesn’t work”. The team’s CTO Nick Chester remained “optimistic that the package will be competitive in Miami”.
The Business of the Home Race: Livery, Marketing, and Brand
Miami wasn’t just a technical debut. Cadillac used its home race to launch a “Star-Spangled” special livery. The white-and-black design featured stars-and-stripes motifs, “USA” lettering on the rear wing, and sponsor stacks including TWG Global, Core Scientific, Jim Beam, and Tommy Hilfiger. Formula 1’s official account called it “Star‑spangled speed”.
Cadillac also unveiled the CT5-V Blackwing F1® Collector Series: 26 units, 685 hp, manual-only, with design cues from the F1 livery. The team set up “Cadillac Formula 1® Team Miami Headquarters” in the Design District for fans.
This commercial activation underscores GM’s strategy: use F1 to position Cadillac as a global performance luxury brand.
What’s Next: The Development Pipeline
Lowdon made clear Miami is step one, not the end. “It’s spread over different parts of the car… there’s an awful lot that we need to verify”.
Short-Term: Canada and Monaco
Williams team principal James Vowles, discussing 2026 development, indicated that “further development parts” are coming for Canada and a “larger step” at Monaco. While he was speaking about Williams, the calendar context applies to all teams. The Canadian Grand Prix is May 22-24, followed by Monaco June 5-7.
Pérez expects Cadillac to bring updates: “Hopefully, the upgrades we bring to Miami will put us into the mix a lot more”, implying the development race continues immediately.
Mid-Term: Constant Stream
Lowdon said the break between Japan and Miami allowed Cadillac to do things “they would not otherwise have had time for”. The team still “needs to grow quite a bit” and is reinforcing staff, mainly in the U.S.
Bottas: “We now head into this gap… with the opportunity to analyze everything learned so far and spend more time developing the car”.
The Aston Martin Benchmark
Pérez specifically named Aston Martin as the target: “We know that Aston is going to be improving, and we don’t want to left behind”. He added: “We’re having fun with them… fighting Fernando is always a great thing”.
Aston Martin’s own struggles in 2026 have been documented, but they remain a recent podium finisher. For Cadillac, regularly racing them is the first objective.
Long-Term: 2026 and Beyond
Cadillac’s launch video stated “NOT A WISH‑A PLAN” and “250 YEARS” with “BOLD AMBITION”. The project is framed as a multi-year American motorsport push. Towriss: “This is an ambitious team… push, push, push. How do we get more performance out of the car?”.
Expert Context: Why This Upgrade Matters
Bringing a large floor-led package to race four is aggressive for a new team. As The Race noted, the early car spec “was signed off well in advance with only minor changes,” so Miami was the first chance to add load.
The nine-item FIA list is comparable to what established teams bring for a major A-spec update. For Cadillac, correlation is critical. If the wind tunnel and CFD predict gains that appear on track, it validates the entire aero department and de-risks future parts.
If it doesn’t, as one commenter feared—“And didn’t work”—the team faces a “negative loop” of reverse engineering that delays development. Ferrari’s Miami struggles were used as a cautionary example by analyst Rob Smedley.
Cadillac’s ability to run the package on a Sprint weekend and still finish with both cars suggests baseline correlation was achieved. The next question is lap time.
Conclusion: Signs of Life, But the Climb Is Steep
Cadillac’s Miami Grand Prix delivered on its two core promises:
Bring a substantial upgrade, and
Show measurable on-track progress.
The team is no longer “adrift at the back”. It’s racing Aston Martin and Williams on merit. Reliability is a strength. The drivers are motivated.
But F1 is relentless. As Lowdon said, “the only thing that makes any difference is that relative delta”. Mercedes brought no upgrades to Miami but plan a package for Canada. McLaren and Red Bull made gains. Cadillac must develop faster than everyone else just to stand still.
The Miami package addressed the “pure lack of load”. The next packages must solve degradation and unlock qualifying pace.
As Bottas put it: “That’s the carrot… but it’s still a long way to go”. For Cadillac, the American Dream in Formula 1 has started. Miami proved they’re in the fight. The next 18 races of 2026 will show how far they can go.
**This article synthesizes official Cadillac F1 Team communications, FIA documents, and team principal/driver quotes published April-May 2026. Technical details are drawn from Nick Chester’s video briefing and Graeme Lowdon’s media sessions. Race performance and livery details reference official F1 and team posts. Fan sentiment reflects public comments on Cadillac’s official channels. All information is presented without speculation beyond what sources state. **